Women with cervical HPV infections are more than twice as likely to also carry the virus in their mouths, according to new research from Semmelweis University. The global meta-analysis, recently published in the Journal of Dental Research, pooled data from 41 studies involving over 5,000 women across five continents.
Researchers found that oral HPV was present in 13% of women who tested positive for cervical HPV, compared to just 4% among those without it—translating to a 2.2-fold higher risk. The risk rose even further to 17% in women who had both cervical HPV and abnormal cytology.
“This means one in eight women with cervical HPV also carries the virus in the mouth, nearly always without symptoms,” said Dr Noémi Katinka Rózsa, Director of Semmelweis University’s Department of Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics and lead author of the study.
HPV is the world’s most common sexually transmitted infection, linked to about 5% of all cancers. While it is best known for causing cervical cancer, it also drives rising rates of throat cancers, particularly in the tonsils and base of the tongue.
Dr. Adél Eszter Mózes, first author and PhD student at Semmelweis University, warned that the lack of standard screening tools for oral HPV makes early detection of such cancers extremely difficult. The findings suggest that women with cervical HPV may represent a high-risk group who could benefit from closer monitoring by ENT specialists or dentists.
Co-author Dr Nándor Ács, Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, highlighted that vaccination remains the most effective prevention, offering up to 90% protection against cancer-linked HPV types for at least 15 years. Yet global vaccination coverage remains far below targets needed for herd immunity.
Source: Semmelweis University
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